


A brother's best man

by wordswehavesaid



Series: Parental Approval [10]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: M/M, mentions of Raylicity, mentions of past Olicity, set pre-"Suicidal Tendencies", time to get some Team Arrow in on this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-19
Updated: 2015-10-19
Packaged: 2018-04-27 03:18:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5031739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wordswehavesaid/pseuds/wordswehavesaid
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John Diggle has always taken his role as Oliver's bodyguard very seriously.</p><p>So he's frankly a little insulted the other man thinks he doesn't know just what's going on between him and a certain fast kid from Central.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A brother's best man

**Author's Note:**

> Aaaaaand back with another Parental Approval for you all - though this time it's a different member of the Flarrow family weighing in. I know there's a very specific prompt more than a couple of you wanted for the "All-Star Teamup" episode, but I felt the events in this story needed to happen first to help set that up. And who doesn't love Dig? Enjoy!

John’s just about fed up with this. The shared looks, smiles, little touches, the way Oliver’s face brightens when his phone buzzes with some text he won’t let anybody else see, the day trips he never explains that leave him roaring back into town late the next morning tired but _content_ , and the way all of those things have one singular common denominator: Barry Allen.

Now it isn’t that those things are happening that is getting to him. Not even that they involve the Central City vigilante. It’s that he’s supposed to be pretending he doesn’t know they’re happening.

Really? He can’t blame Barry for the younger man thinking he’s oblivious, considering how little he really knows John. But Oliver? After nearly three years of working together, of having the man’s back, learning to read him better than himself sometimes, does the man really think he can hide it from him?

A relationship with Barry. Looking back on it, John can sort of see the beginnings of it. Even when they first met the forensic scientist, Barry was fascinated with Oliver, both sides of him. Looking for any opportunity to talk with him despite the many early rebuffs. Eager to please, to impress. And Oliver had…softened to it. Gradually. But far more than John would’ve ever expected of him.

Even more telling had been their dealings with Barry after the man had become the Flash. John would’ve expected Oliver to continue to be standoffish, even wary like he’d been tempted to feel, seeing the tremendous power this other man now carried. Instead he’d warmed to Barry almost instantly, taking him both under his wing and into his confidences with a speed that _marveled_.

After getting over the shock, John had accepted it, encouraged it even considering how he was now splitting his time more than ever between his teammate and his soon-to-be wife again and child. Felicity’s new romance, something that was honestly a long time coming as he’d warned Oliver about countless times, was probably also a reason the usually self-contained vigilante had reached out to the younger man.

But sometime after Oliver had returned from them thinking him dead, after he’d come home to a changed team and shaky alliances, he’d apparently reached out to Barry Allen again. And what had resulted was plain enough for anyone with a keen eye to see. They’re just lucky John’s the only one who’s bothered to look.

But he’s grown far past tired of keeping quiet about it, not when he has more than a few concerns he’s sure Oliver is either unaware of or willfully ignoring.

And his friend provides the perfect opening late one afternoon as John comes down the steps of their base, just finishing up a call to Lyla. “I’ll look at the colors when I get home, Sweetie, but whatever you pick’s fine with me. Ok I’ll see you then. Love you.”

“Preparations for the big day?” Oliver calls out to him, setting aside his bow. It’s empty in the Cave for once apart from them, which is really what he was hoping for.

“Yeah.” He pockets his phone. “Finally got everybody’s RSVPs. You know, I never gave you an invitation.”

Oliver smirks, seemingly amused. “Well as best man I sort of assumed I was invited.”

“True. But I never asked if you needed a plus one.”

He can read it in the way the other’s stance shifts, the lines of his body stiffening, his expression slipping for a fraction of a moment before smoothing to a mask of carefully constructed puzzlement: he’s defensive. “Why would you think I did?”

“Look Oliver, I know, alright? About Barry,” he clarifies to rid the conversation of any ambiguity. His friend clenches a hand with white knuckles around the edge of the table he’s leaning against, seemingly needing the support as he scrubs the other over his face, not looking John in the eye. “Shit, Dig…it’s not what you think.”

“So you’re not screwing around with him on the side?” He checks, skepticism evident. “Now I could care less if Barry was a he or a she, that’s not what this is about.” It’s impossible to miss the look of relief that blooms over the other’s face at that pronouncement. His grip even slackens on the table. “But I have to wonder what you think you’re doing with him. Just what exactly is the plan here, Oliver?”

“There is no plan, alright? There’s just Barry,” he sounds irritable at just the idea that he’s got some other reason or motive. “He’s…I don’t know how to describe it to you, John. What we have, it just _works_.”

And it’s remarkably reminiscent of his own thoughts about himself and Lyla; they’re a pair, better together than they can be apart. Still, he won’t feel comfortable with all this without asking, “Are you sure you’re just trying to make this work because of things you can’t have? I said I don’t care, but Oliver, so far as I know the ladies’ man title has always been you…and Barry is a lot like a certain woman we both know.”

By the way the other man’s face darkens, he knows he hasn’t been quite delicate enough in his phrasing. “Barry is not the same as Felicity, Diggle. And I am not using _him_ to make up for what I might have had with her. Ray Palmer is who she’s chosen. And I,” there’s a brief hesitation, his eyes flicking away before determinedly meeting his gaze. “I’ve chosen Barry.”

John has to let that really sink in for a moment, the sincerity in his tone and the ease that enters his expression and frame after he’s spoken the words.

“Does he know how serious you are about this?”

“I’d hope so, I’ve had dinner with his family,” Oliver tells him wryly, which only further surprises John.

“And how is his family taking it?” He recalls the detective, Barry’s foster father, a straightforward man who’d been more than a little leery of their team at first, and of Oliver more so.

“It’s mostly worked itself out.” Oliver sounds just as amazed by that as he is. And then that same smile, that he really only has seen whenever the young man they’re talking about is around, sneaks onto his face. “I guess they feel like I make him happy.”

He’d almost lost hope that he’d ever see Oliver like this. After every failed relationship, every tragedy and blunder, it had to be some skinny little CSI from out of town with fast legs that did it. John heaves a sigh. “I’ll tell Lyla we need another chair.”

“No,” Oliver disputes. “This wedding is about the two of you, not my relationship.”

“Yeah well, the two of us wouldn’t even be happening right now if it weren’t for him,” he points out with some chagrin, remembering all too well that without the Flash, Lyla would’ve been killed in Harkness’ attack. They really ought to show their gratitude.

But Oliver says, “Barry already understood why he wasn’t invited. He’s never really gotten to know either of you well enough. And if he came with me…that’d bring up a lot of questions I don’t really want to get into with the others yet.”

“You know you’ll have to eventually, right?” He wants to make that clear now, because he knows just how long the other man will go not getting into it with the rest of the team if he lets him.

“Yeah. Look, I need to check on Thea and the club before tonight.” It’s a clear excuse to just get out of here, which he can’t really blame him for.

“Oliver.” His friend pauses. John reaches out, clasps his one hand while pulling him in for a short, tight hug. “I am proud of you, man.”

“Thank you, John.” Oliver squeezes his hand once, and then they both step back, Oliver heading for the stairs and John going to the gun cabinet to arm himself. Ready to watch out for his friend the same as always.

**Author's Note:**

> This story also served as a prompt fill for Olivarry Week, Day 2: Coming Out. If you need more information about Olivarry Week check out [this blog](http://olivarryweek.tumblr.com/)!


End file.
